Remote indicator or regulator



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Original Filed March l5, 1929 fw! wz m/ A A'ITORNEYS Reissued Apr. l2, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Charles H. Smoot,

deceased, late of Maplewood,

N. J.. by Katherine Smoot, Maplewood. N. J.,

assignee Original No. 1,954,850, dated April 17,

1934, Serial No. 347,254, March 15, 1929. Application for reissue November 14, 1935,

13 Claims.

This invention comprises novel remote indicating or regulating apparatus or telemetric system which may be used to cause one or a plurality of indicators or regulators at remote points to move either exactly with, or in some denite relation to, the movement of an indicator or regulator at another point. The invention comprises apparatus for this purpose, that is, rugged and of simple construction and capable o1' causing movement of relatively heavy indicating or regulating members without sacrificing accuracy. 'I'he invention is primarily directed to novel mechanical and electrical apparatus, including a transmitting device, and one or a plurality of receiving devices, and as such is not concerned with any one of the particular uses for which such apparatus may be advantageously employed. In the interest of clarity, however, the invention will be described as applied to the indication at one point of the position of a member at a remote point, it being understood, of course, that this is by way of illustration only.

For a better understanding of the novel features oi the invention, reference should be had to the accompanying drawing, of which:

Figure 1 is a view partly in section of one modification o1' the invention;

Figure la is an enlarged view in perspective of a detail of Figure 1:

Figure 2 is a view of the indicating device at the receiving station, and

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view on the line 3 3 of Figure l.

Referring to the drawing a transmitting device I comprises a drum 2 mounted on a suitably journaled shaft 3 of a motor 4 for driving the drum at a constant speed. The cylindrical surface oi' the drum is o! electrical conducting material divided into two parts 5 and 6, electrically insulated from each other by a band 1 of insulating material. A movable member 8, comprising in the modification illustrated, a body 9 adapted to be positioned manually with respect to a scale I0 by sliding along support bars II, carries an electrical contact I2 in sliding engagement with the surface of drum 2. Contact I2 is thus alternately connected with parts 5 and 6 for periods of time depending both upon the manner in which band 1 divides the surface of the drum, and upon the longitudinal position of member 8 with respect to the drum. Stationary contacts I3 and I4 in sliding engagement with parts 5 and 6 respectively, are mounted at either end of the drum and are electrically insulated from each other and from contact I2.

Serial No. 49,776

A receiving device I5, located at some point remote from the device I comprises a movable shaft I6 carrying in this instance a needle I1 adapted to move over a scale I8 to indicate thereupon a position corresponding to the position of 5 member 8 along the scale I 0 of the transmitting device. The shaft I6 is suitably journaled in xed bearings I9, and has keyed thereon a member 20 having projecting portions 2| and 22, (see Figure la). Rotatably mounted upon shaft I6 10 are two electromagnets 23 and 24 mounted on gears 25 and 26 respectively, which are rotated upon the shaft in opposite directions by suitable gearing to a motor 21. As shown, the gearing comprises bevel gears 2B and pinions 29 and 33 15 coacting with gears 25 and 26 respectively. Armatures 3| and 32 also rotatably mounted on shaft I6 are respectively associated with electromagnets Z3 and 24 and are rotated when attracted to their respective electromagnets by energization thereof. Armature 3l, when rotated, brings 20 a finger 33 which is carried by the armature, into engagement with the projection 2| on the member 2U and serves to turn shaft I6 in the direction of the arrow in Figures 2 and 3. Simi- 25 larly a finger 34 on armature 32 engages projection 22 to turn shaft I6 in the opposite direction when electromagnet 24 is energized. Coiled springs 35 maintain armatures 3| and 32 with their respective fingers 33 and 34 held against 30 fixed stops 36 during de-energization of the respective electromagnets. The springs 35 are each attached at one end to stationary parts 31 and at the other end to hub portions of the respective armatures. 35

Any suitable source of electromotive force is indicated in Figure l by the terminals 38. One of the terminals 38 is connected by lead Wire 39 to sliding contact I2 of device I and the other terminal is connected by connector 44 to brushes 40 4|) and 4I in sliding contact respectively with terminal rings 42 and 43 of electromagnets 23 and 24 respectively. A lead wire 45 connects contact I3 with a brush 46 in contact with the other terminal ring 41 of electromagnet 23 and similarly 45 a wire 43 connects contact I4 with brush 49 in contact with the other terminal ring 50 of electromagnet 24.

Motors 4 and 21 may be any suitable type of electric motors and are preferably operated syn- 50 chronously.

In operation when member B is in the position shown, with lts contact I2 in engagement with substantially the midportion of the drum, and when band 1 divides the surface of the drum into 55 two symmetrical equal parts, as shown, then contact I2 is alternately electrically connected to contact I3 and I4 for equal periods of time, each corresponding to a half-rotation of drum 2. Electromagnets 23 and 24 are thus alternately energized for equal periods of time, magnet 23 being energized when contact I2 engages part 5, and magnet 24 being energized when contact I2 engages part 6. Energizatlon of magnet 23 causes armature 3| to be attracted thereto and to rotate in the direction of the arrow in Figure 3. Preferably the gearing to motor 21, and the relative speeds of motors 4 and 21 are so designed as to cause an angular rotation of of armatures 3| and 32 to occur when contact I2 engages parts 5 and 6 respectively for equal periods of time. During each such rotation armatures 3| and 32 are turned sufficiently against the tension of the respective springs 35 as to bring fingers 33 and 34 to the upper central position indicated in Figure 1 in full lines for nger 33 and in dotted lines for finger 34. During the alternate periods of deenergization of magnets 23 and 24, the springs 35 return the armatures to the position where their respective fingers rest against stops 3B. Member 2li, if not already in the vertical position illustrated, is thus rotated by one or the other of fingers 33 or 34 to such position. Needle I1 is thus brought to the central position on scale I8 and indicates thereupon that member 3 of the transmitting device is at the central position along scale I0. If now. member 3 is shifted along scale I3 to the right to the position indicated in dotted lines in Figure 1, magnet 23 will be energized during three quarters of each revolution of drum 2 and magnet 24 will be energized during the remaining quarter revolution. Armature 3| will therefore be rotated through and armature 32 through only 45 with the result that member 23 will be shifted by linger 33 to turn shaft I6 through 45, and needle I1 will correspondingly be shifted to the position indicated in dotted lines in Figure 2. Conversely a shift of member 3 to the left in Figure 1 will cause magnet 24 to be energized for relatively longer periods of time than magnet 23 and consequently finger 34 will turn shaft IB by engagement with projection 22 by such an amount as to cause needle I1 to take up a position upon scale I3 so as to correspond with the position of member 3 along scale III.

From the above description it will be apparent that for each shift of member 3, only one or the other of fingers 33 and 34 effect the actual rotation of shaft Ii by engagement with one of the projections on member 2l; the other finger merely approaching engagement with member 20 and then being immediately retracted therefrom by spring 35. To insure no overtravel of shaft I3 and consequent vibration of needle I1, frictional means, such as spring pressed bearings 33, are provided.

The apparatus is not limited to the duplication of the movement of member 8 by needle I1 but may be readily arranged, by varying the shape of parts 5 and 6, to maintain any desired relation between the two movements. For example, the insulating band 1 might be so positioned on the surface of drum 2 as to cause the end of needle I1 to shift a distance along scale I3 corresponding to the square root of the distance through which member B has been moved along scale III, This would be of advantage in the case where member 9 was moved automatically in response to the square of a variable function, such as electric current, and it was desired to indicate the linear variations of the function upon scale I8.

Where indications are desired at a niunber of different stations, a. plurality of devices I5, one located at each of the stations, are connected with their corresponding magnets in parallel. Where it is desired to effect a control at the receiving end, instead of, or in addition to, the indicating function of device I5, it is only necessary to utilize the rotation of shaft IS to position a damper, valve, etc., or in the case where the well known type of balanced regulator is employed, to vary the controlling force upon the regulator balance lever. In Figure l there is indicated at I1' an arm mounted on shaft I5 to which may be connected the regulator or other element to be controlled by the movement of shaft I6 when using the device I5 as a regulator. If, instead of regulation or synchronous indication at a remote point, it was only desired to know the maximum position to which member 3 had been moved during a certain period. electromagnet 23 and its associated parts could be removed, and, conversely, minimum position only was desired, magnet 24 and associated parts could be removed.

'I'he invention has now been described and some of the many uses for which it may advantageously be employed have been indicated. The invention should not be limited, beyond the scope oi the appended claims to the particular arrangement described as obviously variations in part thereof could readily be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed ls:

1. In apparatus of the class described, the combination comprising a control member, a controlled member movable throughout a predetermined range, an actuating device in the path of movement of said controlled member and operable to move the same in one direction, a second actuating device in the path of movement of said controlled member and operable to move the same in the other direction, means associated with each of said devices normally biasing said devices to opposite ends of the range of said controlled member, continuously operating driving means, and means for coupling the driving means with each of said actuating devices to drive the same against their respective bias for periods of time depending upon the position of said control member.

2. The combination according to claim l wherein said last mentioned means include a continuously rotating drum having its surface divided into two electrically conducting mutually insulated parts, an electrical contact movable by said control member longitudinally along said drum and in contact with the surface thereof, a source of electrical energy connected to said contact and electromagnetic means so connected with said source and with said insulated parts as to couple one of said actuating devices to the driving means when said contact engages one of said insulated parts and to couple the other of said actuating devices to the driving means when said contact engages the other of said parts.

3. In apparatus of the class described, a control member, a controlled member movable in either direction throughout a predetermined range, an actuating device operable to engage and move said controlled member throughout said range in one direction only and biased toward disengaging position, a second actuating device if knowledge of the v `series of impulses of varying tion to drive said operable to engage and move said controlled member throughout said range in the opposite direction only and biased toward disengaging position and means for driving said devices away from their respective biased positions through distances each of which depends upon the position of said control. member, and the sum of which is constant.

4. In apparatus of theclass described, a shaft rotatable in either direction through a predetermined range, a. device rotatably mounted on said shaft and biased toward one end of said range, a second device rotatably mounted on said shaft and biased toward the other end of said range, a member carried by said shaft and having projections extending into the path of travel of said devices, means for rotating said devices awr" from their respective biased positions and toward engaging position with said member through angles the sum of which is equal to the total predetermined angular range of movement of said shaft, a movable control member remote from said shaft and means controlled by the position of said control member for determining the angular motion of said devices.

5. In apparatus of the class described a source of power and a cylindrical drum continuously driven thereby, the surface of said drum being of electrically conducting material and divided into two mutually insulated parts, a control member movable longitudinally along said drum and provided with an electrical contact adapted to alternately engage said parts, a controlled member remote from said control member, driving means adapted to drive said controlled member in either direction, and electromagnetic means in electrical communication with said parts forl coupling said controlled member to said driving means when said contact engages one of said parts to drive said controlled member in one direction upon movement oi said control member in one direction, and for coupling said controlled member to said driving means when said contact engages the other of said parts to drive said controlled member in the other direction upon movement of said control member in the other direction.

6. In apparatus of the class described a. controlled element adapted to be positioned throughout a predetermined range from a minimum to a maximum position, a member biased toward minimum position and adapted to move said controlled element toward maximum position by engagement therewith, a member biased toward maximum position and adapted to move said controlled element toward minimum position by engagement therewith, means for alternately driving said members against their respective bias at uniform speed for periods of time which vary but whose sum is constant whereby said controlled element will be positioned in accordance with the periods of time during which said members are driven.

'7. An indicator adapted to be controlled by a length and comprising an indicator member, friction means for holding said member in any position to which it may be shifted, an angularly movable device for shifting said indicator having operatively associated therewith two driven parts, two power-operated parts arranged for operative engagement with said driven parts respectively. and means controlled by said impulses for causing said power- Operated parts alternately to move in the direcdriven parts in opposite directions for a duration of time controlled by the length of said impulses.

8. A telemetric system comprising sending means for generating a series of electrical impulses of varying length and an indicator electrically connected therewith and comprising ar: indicator member, friction means for holding saldmember in any position to which it may be shifted, an angularly movable device for shifting said indicator having operatively associated therewith two driven parts, two power-operated parts arranged for operative engagement with said driven parts respectively, and electrical means controlled by said impulses for causing said power-operated parts alternately to move in the direction to drive said driven parts in opposite directions for a duration of time controlled by the length of sait'. impulses.

9. A receiver for a telemetric system of the impulse type comprising an indicator arm, friction means for holding said arm yieldingly in any angular position, a motor, two gearings oppositely driven by said motor, two members each driven in one direction by one of said gearings and each having a spring return against a stop predetcrmining its position, said members being alternately driven under the control of received impulses, and parts in the paths of said members and operatively connected with said indicator arm to shift it when one or the other of said parts is engaged and moved by the corresponding one of said members.

10. A telemetric system comprising sending means for generating impulses of diiierent duration including a continuously rotating part and an indicator electrically connected to said sending means and including a pointer, oppositely rotatable members for moving said pointer in opposite directions, power means for continuously rotating said members, and electromagnetic means for controlling operative engagement of said members with the pointer and connected to said sending means to operatively engage first one and then the other of said members with the pointer for lengths of time each depending on the duration of said impulses and the sum of which is constant.

11. A telemetric system comprising a receiving device having an indicator movable in opposite directions. a transmitter operating in cycles and sending an impulse in each cycle, means movable in one direction to position the indicator in said direction in response to said impulse in said cycle, and means movable in the opposite direction to position the indicator in the opposite direction during the remainder of the cycle, the sum of said positioning movements being constant.

12. A telemetric system comprising a receiving device having an indicator movable in opposite directions, a transmitter operating in cycles and sending an impulse in each cycle, of a length depending upon the then value of a variable quantity to be telemetered, a source of power, two mechanisms continuously driven thereby and including parts adapted to be held stationary or to be driven by said mechanisms in opposite directions, means controlled by said impulse in said cycle to connect one of said parts to the corresponding mechanism to position the indicator in one direction, and means operable during the remainder of the cycle to connect the other of said parts to the other mechanism to position the indicator in the opposite direction, the sum of the positioning movements of said parts being constent.

13. A telemetric system comprising a receiving device having an indicator movable in opposite directions, a transmitter operating in cycles and sending an impulse in each cycle of a length depending upon the then value o! a variable quantity to be telemetered. a continuously running motor. two mechanisms continuously driven by said motor in opposite directions and including parts adapted to be held stationary or to be connected to said mechanisms to be driven thereby in opposite directions, means controlled by said impulse in said cycle to connect one of said parts to the corresponding mechanism to position the indicator in one direction, and means operable during the remainder of the cycle to connect the other of said parts to the other mechanism to position the indicator in the opposite direction, the sum of the positioning movements of said parts being constant.

Disclaimer Re, 20,695.-C'm,rles H. Smoot, deceased, late of Maplewood, N. J., REMOTE INDICA- TOR 0R REGULATOR. Patent dated Apr. 12, 1938. Disclaimer filed Sept. 10, 1949, by the assi nee, Katherine Smoot; the licensees, Smoot Engineering Company and Republc Flow leters Company, consenting end approving. Hereb enters this disclaimer to claims 1, 3, 4, 6, and 11 of seid reissue patent.

[ al Gazette October 18, 1949.] 

